Iraq: after months of waiting, a parliamentary session to elect the President of the Republic

After many twists and turns in recent months, a parliamentary session is to take place this Saturday, March 26 in Baghdad to designate the next President of the Republic who will then appoint his Prime Minister.

Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via REUTERS

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Saturday, March 26, the Iraqi Parliament must hold a session to elect the President of the Republic, who will then have to appoint the Prime Minister of the country within two weeks.

This parliamentary session has been constantly postponed and six months after the legislative elections, Iraq has only elected the speaker of parliament.

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With our correspondent in Baghdad,

After many twists and turns in recent months, it is difficult to know if the parliamentary session, supposed to free the population from

, will take place this Saturday, March 26 in Baghdad.

The political alliance led by the great winner of the elections, Moqtada Sadr, today seems determined to impose its candidates for the post of president and prime minister.

But the opposing camp wants to block the session, dissatisfied with the chosen politicians.

Moqtada Sadr hopes to form majority government

The Iraqi tradition is that each party obtains strategic positions.

But this year, Moqtada Sadr wants to form a so-called majority government, without sharing the reins of power, except with his Kurdish and Sunni allies.

This Saturday's session will tell whether the Shiite cleric succeeds in changing the unspoken rules of Iraqi politics that have been applied for 17 years.

If this is the case, the post of president, with very symbolic functions and which always falls to a Kurd in Iraq, should be occupied by Reber Ahmed, a member of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan.

As for the post of Prime Minister, it could go to one of Moqtada Sadr's cousins, Jaafar Sadr, described as moderate, and currently Iraq's ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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• Iraq